Crystallized Pineapple
by The Tardis Blue Impala
Summary: James Sirius Potter is named after two marauders, so naturally he's inherited their talents for mischief. James's first time using the Marauder's Map didn't go quite as he planned.


**Crystallized Pineapple**

**This is a short oneshot about James Sirius Potter's first time using the Marauder's Map, from him receiving it to getting in trouble for it.**

**AN: this is another one that I wrote during school, but during chemistry this time! I find that writing is a good way to deal with stress.**

**I don't own any of this, all characters, settings, objects, creatures, and other recognizable features belong to the wonderful and talented J.K. Rowling, not me. I am just a lowly Harry Potter fan, not a best-selling author.**

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><p>James Sirius Potter opened the drawer to his father's desk with anticipation. He laughed to himself in triumph. <em>Teddy should really stop trying to keep things from me.<em> He thought. He would have to be quick with this, Teddy thought he was in the bathroom. With a smirk, he found what his Uncle George had told him about last week at his father's birthday dinner at the Burrow.

It was a very worn, old, folded piece of parchment. James pulled out his new wand from Ollivanders, maple and phoenix feather, and tapped the parchment, reciting what his Uncle had taught him; "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Lines sprawled out across the page, spelling out the words "Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present the Marauder's Map."

James smirked to himself. _Yes. Grand-dad's map, _he thought, _Dad would kill me if he knew I had this._ He opened the map to see the full floor plan of Hogwarts. Headmistress McGonagall was sitting in her office, facing the wall behind her. Neville, or Professor Longbottom, as he had to remember to call him, was in one of the greenhouses, tending to the plants. Slughorn was in his office, completely stationary. James smirked at that. _Probably stuffing himself with that pineapple stuff._ he thought. Teddy had told him all about Hogwarts, and Professor Slughorn's obsession with crystallized pineapple. _Imagine what I could do with this map..._ he thought gleefully, _I'll be unstoppable. Those teachers won't know what hit them. _James stuffed the map in his pocket with a mischievous grin and darted back upstairs to his bedroom to pack his new map safely away in his trunk.

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><p>It was nearing midnight on September 2nd, and Harry Potter had just been rudely awoken by an owl tapping on his window. He immediately recognized it as a Hogwarts owl - the haughty stature, the professional and proper attitude, the holier-than-thou expression - and it had a letter addressed to Harry and Ginny in Neville's handwriting.<p>

_Oh no. _Harry thought. _Neville wouldn't use a school owl unless it was something official... __Oh, shit... He's J__ames's head of house..._ he thought dejectedly, remembering his son's letter from that afternoon. Neville had been appointed Head of Gryffindor House upon his hiring, taking Minerva's place now that she was also the Headmistress. _It's only been a day! What could he possibly have done so early in the year to earn a letter home? _

Harry sighed to himself and got out of bed, trying not to wake Ginny. He slowly walked over to the window, stifling a yawn, and took the letter from the owl's beak. Glancing at his wife, he considered waking her up, but decided against it. _Whatever James did will only make her angry, _he reasoned, thinking it better to let her rest and tell her in the morning. He made his way downstairs, fixed himself some tea, and sat at the kitchen table to read the letter.

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Potter,_

_Yesterday night, on September first, your son was found by Professor Slughorn out of bed after hours. James had been inside the professor's office, and said that he was "looking for the crystallized pineapple." _

_He has been given two weeks of detention for attempted theft from a professor, and will be expected to formally apologize to Professor Slughorn._

_Sincerely, Neville Longbottom, Head of Gryffindor House_

_P.S. Otherwise, James is doing well. He really reminds me of the two of you, too nosey for his own good! Only kidding, he's a good kid. But you know how old Sluggy overreacts when it comes to his precious pineapple._

Harry ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. _James..._ he thought, _Why, __why__, would you go after the pineapple so early in your school career? Why would you do that? __How__ did he do that... He managed to avoid Peeves, Filch, __and__ Mrs._ Norris. A horrible thought came to Harry's mind._ No... He couldn't have..._ No. James didn't even know about the Map, he couldn't have found it if he didn't know what it was. _Unless someone told him about it..._ said a nagging doubt at the back of his mind. _The only people who know about it are Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and George. Hermione would murder Ron before she let him tell, Ginny would never, but George... _George had given Harry the Map in the first place... He would want the tradition to continue. Sure, Harry had planned to pass the map onto his sons, but not until James was a third year, at least. _But George would tell him as soon as James would be able to use it. As soon as Ginny finds out, he's a dead man._

Harry tried to ignore these thoughts, but found that impossible. He had to confirm his suspicions. He rose from his chair and walked into his office. It was a small room, with a large window on the south wall, facing the forest behind the Potter's home. Next to the window was Harry's large mahogany desk. There was a little drawer on the lower right hand corner of the desk where he kept the Map. Harry reached for the handle and pulled that drawer open.

The Marauder's Map was gone.

Harry sighed to himself once more. _James has the Map. Merlin help the Professors at Hogwarts. _Harry shuddered to think what would happen when his son got a hold of the invisibility cloak. _That child will be the death of me..._

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><p><strong>AN: Really short, I know, but I like it :) Kinda shows Harry and James's relationships with each other and with Neville.<strong>

**I think you should all know by now that I less-than-three reviews. 3**


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